Abstract:
The South Florida Information Access web site (SOFIA) was created as a
'one-stop-shopping' access point for research on South Florida. All USGS South
Florida Place-Based Studies research projects, ranging from mercury
contamination in the Everglades to coral reef decline, are online at this site.
The site provides project descriptions, proposals, publications, references,
data (through the data
... exchange site), metadata, presentations, and contact
information, as well as general interest items, such as photographs and
posters. In addition, the SOFIA site has an educational section which displays
the work SOFIA is doing with the Academy of Science and Technology in West Palm
Beach, Florida.
The South Florida restoration effort requires multidisciplinary
information relating to present and historical conditions for use in
responsible decision-making. The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) began
a research program in support of the restoration of the Everglades and
South Florida ecosystem in 1995. USGS personnel have been conducting
research projects designed to provide sound scientific information on
which resource managers can base their decisions. The USGS also has
recognized the need for a central site to provide all interested
parties with information from this research and access to these
data. The objectives of the SOFIA website are to continue to provide a
usable and Section-508-compliant website that provides direct access
to all south Florida Place-Based Studies information. The initial
version of the site was specifically tailored for scientists, managers
and decision-makers. More recent and expanded versions of the site
have added educational materials and general outreach items designed
for the general public.
[Summary provided by USGS] 
